Boy and Girl Scouts in Florida get surprise donation

CLEARWATER, Fla., Nov. 4 (UPI) -- After having their adventure trailer stolen, a Scouts troop in Florida got a surprise donation from a former Boy Scout.

The trailer, used by Clearwater Troop 222 to haul gear for camping and canoeing trips, was stolen a couple weeks ago, WTSP-TV, Tampa, reported Monday.

Scoutmaster Louis Mihalinec said his name and number were painted on the trailer, "So whoever did it, knows who they stole it from."

Jim O'Dell, a former Scout and trailer shop owner from Largo, said he heard of the theft and decided to donate a brand new $2,200 trailer to the youth group.

"How could someone with a heart like the rest of us Americans take something from an organization like the Boy and Girl Scouts?" O'Dell said. "I just know how important it is and how hard it is for these guys to raise the funds and then to get their dreams taken away is so heartbreaking. So as hard as it was we just had to step forward and do it."

Mihalinec said the Scouts were very thankful for O'Dell's donation.

"You go through all the emotions of being upset, angry, wonder what you could have done differently but then you get the phone call from somebody trying to help you out and there is good people in the world," Mihalinec said.

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